Oman Highlights

The landscape of this Arab sultanate is a microcosm of
the Middle East: an oases-dotted sprawl of desert rimmed by tall, jagged
mountains and wild coastline that encompasses a gulf, a sea, a strait and an
ocean. Its ancient past can still be found in the ornately tiled mosques and
palaces at Muscat and Sohar; a distinctive crescent-shaped fishing boat called
a dhow and ocean-going vessels called baghalas which can still be seen in the
port at Sur; and the legendary frankincense trees, which produce an aromatic
resin that’s been highly prized for well over two thousand years.

However, while Oman has long been a relatively isolated and
resolutely Muslim country, the unspoiled beauty of its beaches, winding
mountain roads, mineral water springs, remote rivers and wide desert has begun
to attract the attention of influences outside the United Arab Emirates. The
modern economy of Oman is now driven largely by tourism, and international
resorts and restaurants have begun to crop up along the coasts.

If you want to see Oman before it becomes as popular with
tourists as its neighbor, Dubai, the time to visit is now.